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Photo of Ulrich, Reyna

Reyna Ulrich, Ed.D, M.Ed

Director, Academic Programs

Academic Learning Specialist/ Clinical Assistant Professor (Health Sciences Education and Pathology)

Student Affairs

Health Sciences Education and Pathology

Pronouns: she/her/hers

About

With over 25 years of experience in education, Dr. Reyna M. Ulrich is an accomplished Latina educator who supports the academic needs of medical students, particularly with study strategies and test-taking skills. Focusing on the science of learning, struggling students receive the necessary tools to find academic success. Other responsibilities include Director of the Peoria Peer Education Program (PEP), voting member of the Peoria Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee representing the faculty, voting member of the UIC Senate representing the College of Medicine, voting member of the Committee of Admissions for the College of Medicine representing the faculty, BRIDgE implementer of the BRIDgE (Bias, Reduction, Inclusion, Diversity, and a guide to Equity) program, and providing ongoing support to the local and college-wide promotions student committee.

Personal interests include traveling, cooking/baking, kayaking, and music. A global nomad since a young age, Dr. Ulrich lives in the Peoria area with her husband, Michael, her youngest daughter, Bridget, and their two well-loved cats, Pisco & Miel.

Bilingual: Fluent in English and Spanish.

Selected Publications

  • Ulrich, Reyna M.; Unlawfully Present in Higher Education: A Phenomenological Study Based on Mexican Males and Stopping Out; Concordia University – Wisconsin; Completed March 2021.

Education

- Doctorate Degree in Education (Leadership in Innovation and Continuous Improvement) from Concordia University Wisconsin
- Master’s Degree in Education (Curriculum & Instruction) from George Mason University
- Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish from George Mason University (Fairfax, Virginia)

Selected Presentations

  • Hedman, E. and Ulrich, R.; Presentation: Study Concepts in Med School; Bradley University / Pipeline Program; Peoria, IL; February 2, 2024.
  • Moran, J., Thames, G., Ulrich, R., & Williams, S.; Presentation: The Value of a Collaborative Relationship between the Academic Learning Specialist and the Faculty; Medical Education Learning Specialist (MELS) Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA; November 2 – 3, 2023

Research Currently in Progress

  • Howard C, Lauseng D, Vazquez-Melendez E, Lehnen C, Ulrich R, Berry A, Abreu J, Busche L, Mera B, Ruiz-Avila D, Vallejos A. Investigating the Feasibility of Translating Medical Education Content in English to Spanish Using Bilingual Medical Students and Free Translation Software. Spanish-Language EBM Guide Feasibility Testing [internal grant]. Innovative Project Seedling Award. 16 Jan 2024 - 15 Nov 2024. University Library. University of Illinois Chicago.
  • Ulrich, R., Thames, G., Williams, S., Scott, J., Supporting Preclinical Medical Students Using Critical Junctures with the Curriculum as Identifiers for Proactive Measures in Preventing Step 1 Delays